I was born and raised in Tokyo, which is where I still live – in the downtown area, full of old tenements and traditional coffee shops.
I graduated from junior college specialising in photography, but I didn’t take up a career in photography. At the time, I only took pictures of my cat, and recreational photos when hanging out with my friends. About four years ago, inspired by my husband’s hobby of film photography, I started to take photographs on film again.
For the first three years, I was mainly taking snapshots with colour negatives. About six months ago I started to develop black and white film at home, and since then I have been shooting mostly in black and white.
About a year ago, on the recommendation of my mental health counsellor, I started staying in a hotel once a month. Initially the aim was to get away from the daily grind and refresh myself. I would bring a portable record player into the hotel and spend the night just listening to it.
Then I decided to try my hand at taking self-portraits, so I brought a tripod into the hotel and started taking pictures of myself. It was an interesting and novel experience, taking pictures of “just me”. I posed myself in whatever way I could think of and took pictures with the self-timer. It was difficult to time the self-timer shots correctly, and sometimes I took multiple shots of the same composition.
My photographic equipment was a Hasselblad and a Pentax LX. My tripod is a heavy Husky or a smaller Gitzo.
As I continued to shoot, I started to experiment more. Multiple exposures, first time using flash, wide-angle lenses in small rooms. I also started to use small objects. But I have to be careful not to stray too far from “just me”. I’m looking forward to seeing how my approach and style further change with time. In a sense, my self-portraits are a way to get to know myself better.
My self-portrait series was born out of a desire to simply have fun, a spirit of play. It’s a way to explore who I am, and how I can present myself, in an unfamiliar, unusual room.
In that same spirit, I often take pictures with the kind of gestures that a child would do. My husband once told me that he thinks I sort of transitioned from childhood to being an adult, without getting to fully enjoy my childhood. Maybe I am trying to get back to my child self.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested, I have more photos from this series (and others) on my Instagram.
Share this post:
Comments
fred fung on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
thorsten on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Nick Lyle on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Adrian Rose on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Rob Phillips on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Noriko Kikuchi on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
I really interested your story.
Thank you sharing for us.
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Kurt Ingham on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Clive W on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Fred on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Dan Castelli on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
The late, beloved drummer Charlie Watts (himself an artist) sketched every hotel room he stayed in while on every tour with The Rolling Stones beginning in 1962. Perhaps you’re both kindered spirits?
Your first pic in color perfectly sums up what it feels like grappling with Covid-19! Well done.
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Sara on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
RJ on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Alan Jones on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
You've definitely nailed it here.. :)
Comment posted: 01/12/2021
Thomas Burstyn on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 02/12/2021
Comment posted: 02/12/2021
Mark on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 02/12/2021
I’m amazed and have thought about this through out the day.
Hope you received the healing, inspiration you were seeking from the monthly visits.
Best wishes from the Pacific Northwest (PNW) in USA
(Love the arms from the bedcovers)
Comment posted: 02/12/2021
Ben Felten on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 03/12/2021
I spent 21 days in quarantine in October due to the frigging absurd regulations in HK. One the ways in which I kept my sanity was a daily self-portrait. I did them on digital, because analog seemed too hard and I wanted to not have to wait a month to see the results. It was an enlightening experience, both creatively and photographically. I have all the more admiration for your work here !!!
Comment posted: 03/12/2021
Ian Do Carmo on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 04/12/2021
Comment posted: 04/12/2021
Geoff Chaplin on Self-Portrait in Hotels – by Michiko Ohashi
Comment posted: 29/05/2023
これからも同じシリーズを続いてください。読むために楽しみにします！